Introduction to Research Methods
& Data Analysis in Psychology
By Darren Langdridge
December 2003
Prentice Hall / Pearson Education
ISBN: 0-13-097832-9
432 Pages
$72.50 paper original
OUT OF PRINT
This book provides students with the only research methods textbook they will need from the start of their studies onwards to their second and possibly even third year. It is a comprehensive introduction to research methods and data analysis .The title assumes no previous knowledge of research methods or psychology and provides an accessible, highly entertaining and jargon free way into this frequently difficult topic area. More than any other book, this text will help reduce student angst.
This work provides coverage of both quantitative and qualitative methods. This includes detail of the statistical analysis of data (by hand and using SPSS for Windows version 11.0) and the analysis of qualitative data with all the major approaches in use today. Few other single books provide the same level of coverage of quantitative and qualitative approaches. The book includes activity boxes providing exercises designed to further cement knowledge and understanding. Study boxes are used throughout to give examples of the application of research methods and data analysis with cutting-edge research in psychology. Introduction to Research Methods and Data Analysis in Psychology is accessible to undergraduate students studying other social science disciplines as well as appropriate for A-level students beginning to study psychology.
Section 1: Introduces students to the foundations of research methods, including coverage of all main methods of data collection commonly in use today. Detail is provided on interviewing and observation, questionnaire and survey design along with information on experimental and quasi-experimental designs. Section 2: Students are introduced to the full range of statistics needed in the first two years of an undergraduate psychology degree using a minimum of mathematics. Priority is given to understanding the selection and use of appropriate statistics, along with interpretation of the, often confusing, output from SPSS. Section 3: Qualitative methods are covered, with considerable information provided about the philosophy underpinning such developments.
Transcription, coding and thematic analysis, phenomenological methods, grounded theory, ethnographic research and discourse analysis, along with the use of computers in qualitative research are all covered. Detail on the pros and cons of each approach along with current debates is provided at the end of each chapter. Section 4: Provides comprehensive information about searching and reviewing the literature, reporting and presenting findings along with discussion of ethical and political issues.
Dr. Darren Langdridge is a senior lecturer in social research methods at the University of Huddersfield. He has taught quantitative and qualitative methods to psychology students for many years and published widely on a number of topics in social psychology.
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